Sign of diabetes mellitus.

Your body changes most of the food you eat into glucose (a form of sugar). Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter all the cells of your body and be used as energy.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when a person’s body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin properly. When you have diabetes, the sugar builds up in your blood instead of moving into the cells. Too much sugar in the blood can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and damage to the nerves and kidneys.

There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce any insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Between 90-95% of people who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

The early stages of diabetes have very few symptoms, so you may not know you have the disease. But damage may already be happening to your eyes, your kidneys and your cardiovascular system even before you notice symptoms. Symptoms of diabetes may include the following:
* Extreme thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Frequent urination
* Sores or bruises that heal slowly
* Dry, itchy skin
* Unexplained weight loss
* Blurry vision
* Unusual tiredness or drowsiness
* Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
* Frequent or recurring skin, gum, bladder or vaginal yeast infections

If you are regularly experiencing any of these symptoms, call your family doctor right away.